Thrive Love

“From the first moment I stepped into Thrive to now, close to five years later, I have felt safe, cared for and knowledgeably guided, educated and supported by Kim and her fantastic team! My body and mind were tired and in pain so I began semi-regular treatments of massage and acupuncture. Kim, Jessica and Nicole are excellent practitioners of their areas of expertise, and I walked away feeling more balanced and restored.Then, a year ago, my needs increased. I essentially collapsed, and needed work from inside out! And there was Thrive and their many thoughtful options for healing and health. I was guided to the classes that best fit my needs and capacity and have gained tremendously – more balance, strength, flexibility, better grounding. Jessica and Kim are my weekly “go to” people/classes/treatments that have helped so very much!

Much to my surprise, Airlie, an Ayurvedic practitioner joined the team last year. My diet and lifestyle needed a major overhaul and there she was! She has made a difference to my world in many ways and I’m grateful.I’m looking forward to moving on to different classes and practitioners as my capacity builds and my interest grows. Thrive is gifted in the level of professional skills and genuine caring that each team member offers to their community of clients. It’s fun, there’s lots of work and laughter, warmth and smiles, and new friends to enjoy.”

– Jan Townsend

“Thrive has changed my life. Small pilates classes with individual attention, along with acupuncture and massage has made me stronger and eliminated my chronic pain.Excellent instructors and varied classes have kept me interested and engaged, 3 times per week for over 3 years. It’s never a effort to go to Pilates, quite the opposite, it’s become my weekly priority, leaving me feeling strong, coordinated and injury free in all my other sports, crucial for and active retirement.

Thrive is a family for all of us, Kim and Jessica and all the other staff and instructors are warm, welcoming and caring, and always fun!

I highly recommend this studio.”

– Judy Loukras

“I love Thrive. It has such a warm, inviting atmosphere that comes from the people there as much as the services and classes. I’m a pilates addict so having the chance to go to small classes with some of the best instructors in the city is a big bonus. I choose to travel from Shawnigan Lake to Thrive for classes because of how great it is. Plus, their pool of clients is also varied, dedicated and lots of fun!”– Robyn Smale

“I have been taking yoga/pilates classes with Jessica and Kim regularly for 2 1/2 years now, and I can and do recommend the studio to everybody who wants to listen. Jessica’s therapeutic yoga class on Tuesday is a fantastic opportunity for a gentle work out that lets you learn how to isolate and control muscles without straining yourself – ideal for people who want to get (back) into shape or need to build up strength again after an injury.Kim’s Fusion Yoga – which is essentially a happy marriage of Yoga and Pilates aspects – is great for you if you want a bit more of a strenuous work out, including some unfamiliar moves, and definitely involving sweat… But because of Kim’s personality she will keep you from overexerting yourself (you, who look at your body and strength in a more competitive way, with expectations, possibly due to coming from other areas of sport or dance, will know what I mean). Fusion Yoga is a fantastic opportunity for cross training!

All classes include ‘toys’ – TRX (something akin to a fancy rope hanging from the ceiling), long knubbely rollers, spiky and soft balls of various sizes, blocks, bolsters, instability cushions, rubber bands and more.

It’s amazing how much can happen with just a small accessory, your body, and a mat.

Kim’s Friday morning class (no idea what it’s called, it’s the one at 8:15) is one superb way of starting the day in a gentle yet productive manner. So even if you are not a morning person, or you can’t imagine working out in the earlier hours of the day (like myself), I would still recommend you give this one a try. I attended that class on my birthday last year, because I thought I wanted to start that day a little different than usual – and I stuck with it ever since… You’ll be hanging out on the floor for a good 1/2 hour, massaging your own body by means of before-mentioned rollers and spiky and soft balls. It’s a magnificent way to wake up and do something good for your lymphatic system. The second part of class consists usually of a bit more muscle work, but by then you will be awake, stretched and limbered up enough to feel really good about it. There is usually no sweat involved, only some occasional muscle shaking, so you can run out to work right after – or maybe you head over to the little organic grocery shop across the street right after class and grab some fresh baked pretzels or croissants.

Overall, you will not only have the benefit of stabilizing your body, develop your muscle tone and get a good stretch, but you will also learn to differentiate small details around your well being, and be more patient and loving towards yourself, which will reflect on all the other aspects of your life. Please do not expect super quick fixes if you have more complex physical issues – some things will require a longer time period to develop or heal.”

– Ines Hanl

“Without exaggeration the people at Thrive Studio have changed my life!I have suffered from debilitating back pain for over 14 years, and for 11 of those years I had been trying to find someone or something that could help me. Fed up with my lack of progression I needed to make a change. What I was doing was not working, so three years ago I decided it was time to make a new plan.

Thrive was recommended to me at the time by my sister who told me, “You need to see Nicole she is a Massage therapist that dose this different style of massage, it helps hydrate your muscles”. So I found my way to Thrive. Nicole’s treatments were like nothing I’d ever experienced before, subtle but I found it to be very effective. After seeing Nicole for a while I was then able to progress to restorative yoga , then added therapeutic yoga, both with Jessica.I also started seeing Jess for massage at that time as well, at first it was to help give her better insight into my strengths and weaknesses when in her yoga classes. It was then that I found out that Jessica is the most knowledgeable, talented, dedicated, and compassionate therapist I have ever met, and I have met lots. She is a supper star! I have recently seen Stephanie RMT as well she is a great new addition to the the Thrive family. So I can say without hesitation all three women are at the top of there game as therapist and all have different attributes and techniques. Being able to access them all at one location allows me to use all their knowledge to my benefit.

Kim is the brain child of this amazing studio Her energy, positive attitude, and passion are infectious. I have seen Kim for acupuncture/massage (bonus two treatments in one)she is awesome, top shelf. My next goal is to attend a pilates class at some point in the future! There are so many different classes and instructors to chose from. I love the fact that I will never need to go anywhere else, as I progress and get stronger it is all right there!! Thrive is a small studio with big results.

Thank you Kim for providing a place with great atmosphere, no attitude, and then filling it with such wonderful and talented people. Thrive is a positive friendly addition to there community, and it has developed into a Thriving community of its own.”

– Rob Joslin

“Kim & her team are highly focused on ensuring you the client, has a positive experience be it in a class, massage or acupuncture. I highly recommend the studio. Classes are smaller and focus on your personal abilities. I always leave Thrive feeling better mentally & physically than when I arrived.”– Dianne LeQuesne

“I have been really impressed with what a welcoming environment Thrive always has, with the excellence of their instructors, and the therapeutic nature of their classes. It is always a pleasure to go to thrive and I always feel like it is worth my time and money.– Andrea Rice

“Kim & her team are highly focused on ensuring you the client, has a positive experience be it in a class, massage or acupuncture. I highly recommend the studio. Classes are smaller and focus on your personal abilities. I always leave Thrive feeling better mentally & physically than when I arrived.”– Leona Brown

“From the relaxed atmosphere of the Haultain neighbourhood to Kim and the instructors’ welcoming personalities, this studio provides you with small class sizes and instructors who really know how to personalize your experience. They pay close attention to each participant so that you feel like you’re almost in a private session. Have attended classes at this studio since it openned and have recommended it to many – who also share my love for the studio.– Yolaunda Courtney

“Thanks for your anniversary wishes. Thrive has done much to improve my well-being and to keep me physically, emotionally and spiritually centered. My quality of life is much better because of Thrive and I am grateful for all that you do. Much love.”– Val

“Yoga, pilates, acupuncture, massage, Thrive has it all… From Thrive’s very first class five years ago, it was apparent why this studio quickly became so special to so many: the very small classes, the sense of camaraderie not competition, the varied classes offered. In addition, there are wonderful practitioners of acupuncture and massage. This studio has given me so much in terms of strength, body awareness, and confidence in my abilities.Whether you are new to pilates and yoga or have been looking for a change, no matter what your goals or fitness level, come to Thrive. You will be so thankful that you did.”– Maxine Demmler

“I have been a client of Live to Thrive for several years. I have enjoyed the variety of classes I have done and the lovely small, intimate studio with such personal attention.Most of my business with Thrive has been using Kim Wilson’s services for massage and acupuncture. I have experienced massage over a 40 year period and Kim is the best all round practitioner I have used. I often go for the pleasure of a relaxing massage but also, as I am aging, I have used the service to work on small injuries, tightness or body alignment. I am very interested in the concept of fascia and love to have those treatments. As a long time exercise fan I love that I can compliment my workouts with her treatments and feel that I am enjoying the best health I can.”

– Lorna Harris

“Please add more yoga classes by Kim Wilson. I am convinced she is the best teacher in North America. Maybe, the world. I have been practicing since age 16. I am now 41. I have never been so impressed with a teacher (whatever the lineage) as I have with this person. If you can, please convince her to make videos for sale.”– Jessie Olesky